A Montana resident known around the world for his teachings of alternative healing techniques and philosophies is giving a seminar in Havre.

The seminar, called “Energy Balancing,” is “a synthesis of philosophies, techniques and therapies gathered from many sources,” said seminar teacher James Minckler.

“The focus is to eliminate blocked or restricted energy patterns in the body. Once balance is attained, then it can be used as a prevention with regular tune-ups,” he added.

“It’s a step-by-step program to get healed,” Minckler said. “It’s a collection of ancient healing techniques brought together to help us balance ourselves.”

Minckler, who resides in the mountains north of Missoula, has been coming to Havre to host these workshops for around 20 years. He said he started giving these presentation because many years ago, his friends helped him with his back pain using similar techniques.

“They took the pain away in an hour,” Minckler said “I started learning more and sharing the information with my friends.”

Minckler now travels to places such as Germany, Hawaii, and all over the continental U.S., to give these seminars and spread his knowledge. He has also written two books, called “Energy Balancing,” which he will be selling at his seminar.

Minckler also visits many Indian reservations. He said he is working on a contract with a tribe in Alberta now and that his teachings are popular among Native Americans because of the similarities of his practices to theirs.

According to Minckler, most physical ailments can be attributed to one of 12 reasons — for energy blockage in any of the 12 organs of the body.

“The body works like an electrical circuit,” he said.

Mindsets and attitudes can create some of the blockages of energy in the organs.

“Worrying is negative goal setting,” Minckler said. “Worrying is connected to the stomach. If a person is a nervous wreck all the time, it will affect the organ.”

“We teach people to listen to their bodies,” he added.

Rita Campbell, of Havre Health Foods, is a sponsor for the event. She went to the first seminar Minckler gave in the area 20 years ago and has been attending ever since.

Campbell said the most important thing people who attend the seminars get is “a sense of being able to take care of yourself. It gives a sense of empowerment.”

Tickets to the seminar are $60 for the two days. Students can get tickets for $35 and teens get in free. Tickets can be purchased at Havre Health Foods in the Holiday Village Mall prior to the seminar, or at the door. The seminar is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the District 4 HRDC Community Center at 2229 5th Ave.

A 101-page “energy balancing manual” is available for $20 and personal sessions are available by donation.

“Everything I teach in the course is in the manuals,” Minckler said. “The neat thing is this stuff really works.”